This application incorporates by reference Taiwanese application Serial No. 88118873, filed 10/30/1999.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an electronic recording device, and more particularly to an electronic recording device capable of automatically capturing voice data.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the computer science develops faster and faster, users can download a variety of data from Internet or the World Wide Web (WWW). Internet becomes an important and popular way for users to get modem and necessary information and data. Now, data in Internet includes text data, voice data, image data etc. Recently, even popular songs can be found and downloaded from Internet for commercial benefits. Those songs are compressed by compression standard for reducing time and capacity taken by users. This compression standard is, for example, MP3 (MPEG Layer 3).
Personal computer (PC) is commonly used for browsing or downloading data from Internet. However, there exist disadvantages when PC is used in performing browsing operation or downloading operation. The limitation of the space and device are the most significant. That is, users must stay near PC when they use PC to browse or download data from Internet. Besides, few efficient devices can be used.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved and simplified electronic recording device. The electronic recording device includes a portable electronic tape. The digital voice data, downloaded from Internet, is stored in the portable electronic tape. A voice player with magnetic heads reads out the voice data stored in the electronic tape. The voice player can be, for example, a cassette recorder, a Walkman etc. By using the device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, users may read data in Internet in any time and any place.
The invention achieves the above-identified objects by providing a new electronic recording device, for storing a digital voice data encoded by a personal computer (PC) or a web server. The digital voice data is downloaded from the web server by PC. The electronic recording device includes a docking station and an electronic tape. The electronic tape can be placed in the docking station and used for storing the digital voice data. The docking station includes: a port terminal, coupled to PC; and a first connecting terminal, coupled to the port terminal. The electronic tape includes: a second connecting terminal, a first interface, a first central processing unit (CPU), a memory, a digital/analog-converting unit, and a magnetic head. The second connecting terminal is coupled to the first connecting terminal. The first interface is coupled to the second connecting terminal. The first CPU is coupled to the first interface, for decoding the digital voice data. The memory is coupled to the first CPU, for accessing the digital voice data. The digital/analog-converting unit is coupled to the first CPU. The magnetic head is coupled between the digital/analog-converting unit and the voice player. After the digital voice data, stored in the memory, is decoded by the first CPU, the digital/analog-converting unit converts an output from the first CPU. An output from the digital/analog-converting unit is transmitted into the voice player via the magnetic head, and read out by the voice player.
Further, the invention discloses another electronic recording device, for storing a digital voice data encoded by a personal computer (PC) or a web server. The digital voice data is downloaded by PC from the web server. The electronic recording device includes: a radio frequency (RF) base station and an electronic tape for storing the digital voice data. The RF base station includes: a port terminal, a first terminal, a first interface, a first central processing unit, and a first RF transceiver. The first terminal is coupled to PC. The first connecting terminal is coupled to the port terminal. The first interface is coupled to the first connecting terminal. The first CPU is coupled to the first interface. The first RF transceiver is coupled to the first CPU, for transmitting the digital voice data. The electronic tape includes the second connecting terminal, the second interface, the second CPU, the second RF transceiver, a memory, a digital/analog-converting unit and the voice player. The second connecting terminal is coupled to the first connecting terminal. The second interface is coupled to the second connecting terminal. The second CPU is coupled to the second interface, for decoding the digital voice data. The second RF transceiver is coupled to the second CPU, for receiving the digital voice data from the first RF transceiver. The memory is coupled to the second CPU, for accessing the digital voice data. The digital/analog-converting unit is coupled to the second CPU. The magnetic head is coupled between the digital/analog-converting unit and the voice player. After the second CPU decodes the digital voice data, the digital/analog-converting unit converts an output from the second CPU. An output from the digital/analog-converting unit is transmitted to the voice player via the magnetic head and to be read out by the voice player.